Live Sessions Ep 1: Shara Lunon

Feb 01, 2018

In honor of this rare super blue blood moon we are finally releasing a new series we have been conjuring up for our blog. This Live Sessions series was created to bring more funk, diversity, culture, artistic excellence and really just showcase badass creatives to our community. Cheeba's Goods is much more than just a online boutique; it is a way reclaiming your freedom to be your most authentic self. With this series we invite artist to perform their original music while draped in hand picked clothes to embody their persona and last but not least a custom set design that mirrors their world. For our first Live Sessions installment we invited the multi-dimensional musician Shara Lunon. Shara and I met at one of our in home pop-up shops last fall and it has been all love ever since.

Shara: It’s called soule but it has an e at it. I originally wrote it as a duet for voice and saxophone. The original recording of it is a live recording of me with a saxophonist and keys. The same loop that you hear. I would say that it’s very introspective in the sense that its about realizing that you need to know yourself before anything else will happen for you like love, prosperity, abundance. You can’t have any of that without being open to who you are.

Sunny: Yes! I feel that. The last time we were hanging out you mentioned you were working on an album. Is this song going to be on it?

Shara: I’m working on an EP that Jhevere is mixing and this song is gonna be on it. It’s a two part song where the loop that you hear in the beginning stands alone and it transitions into the regular beat that me and my really good friend Ominious Sonata put together and my homeboy Bola is featured at the end so you’ll hear him too.. Shout out to my boys! [LAUGHS]

Sunny: Yasssss! Shout to the homies.

[LAUGHS TOGETHER]

Sunny: So how big of a part does music play in your life? Even in your day to day life. I remember you telling me you were on tour last year with with different bands...

Shara: Music is pretty much the goal. To be a sustainable musician and make money off of what I love the most so it’s incorporated every single day. Whether I’m just warming up and practicing a set or organizing my stems to get them mixed or working on branding. Besides that, for my own music, I’ve been fortunate enough that I’ve gotten to do a few solo tours, as well as a few tours with bands I was in and paid gigs to sing for other bands. I’m really maneuvering and manifesting how to become a full-time musician.

Sunny: That’s amazing. What do you want people to take away from this EP that you’re creating? What’s the essential feel or vibe or revelation you want people to have.

Shara: When I normally perform live, which is mostly how you might hear me because a lot of my stuff online is recorded live, I like to create an ambiance and environment that you’re kind of forced to be in the moment… and resonate in what that moment feels like. Whether that’s good, bad, ugly, happy, whatever it is… so when you listen to my EP I’d like you to be able to be present and kinda go wherever the songs taking you. I like to slow things down so people can really just BE for a minute. You know? Not have a lot of outside noise.

Sunny: That’s important. I feel like in the world we’re living in with all these gadgets it’s hard for some people to be in the moment and a lot of times music forces you there.

Shara: Yeah. One of my favorite musicians that was part of my research when I was in undergrad.. His name is Milton Nascimento and he created a safe space for Brazilians to listen to music in protest; and I love that idea of making a safe space for people to listen and feel and relate and be connected to each other in this environment he created with sound. So...that’s the goal. [laughs] That’s the idea I’m going for.

Sunny: Music is the universal language and it’s capable of connecting people in so many different ways.

Shara: Definitely

Sunny: One last question before you go. How would you define your style?

Shara: That’s been the question [laughs] I’ve definitely always been interested in discovering myself and a lot of that is through glitter [laughs] and color blocking. I come from Florida so I’m fortunate to be from one of the tropical areas of the states and I really draw on that landscape where it’s very lush and bright colors and fruity and sweaty. [laughs] So I guess a lot of my style derives from the colors and environment I grew up in.

Sunny: Cool! Any last shout outs?

Shara: Shout out to ya’ll! Thank you Sunny. Thank you Jhevere and Beach House for helping me on my musical journey and shout out to my tribe! Masune, Mariama, and Bola. Love you guys!